Bell 47-G2A accident near Jamesburg, New Jersey, November 28, 1986
On November 28, 1986 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Bell 47-G2A (helicopter), registered N7579, was destroyed in an accident near Jamesburg, New Jersey. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 1986 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Jamesburg, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47-G2A · all 47-G2As on the register
- Registration
- N7579 · registry record · serial 2659
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND PRIVATE STUDENT WERE PRACTICING LIFTING OFF TO A HOVER. THE CFI ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO PREFORM ONE OR TWO UNDER SUPERVISION AND THEY WERE SATISFACTORY. THE CFI THEN ALLOSED THE STUDENT TO START PREFORMING THE MANUEVERS. THE CFI HEARD THE RIGHT SKID SNAP AND AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO APPLY LEFT CYCLIC AND LOWER THE COLLECTIVE THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, BOTH CFI AND STUDENT SUFFERED BURNS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 7,514 as pilot in command; 465 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,512 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 20, 1986; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming VO435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Hightstown NJ at 2:10 pm
- Destination: Hightstown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 1 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.